op same place



(No Model.)

V. HIMMER.

SECONDARY ELECTRIC CLOCK.

Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

No. 337,583. y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VITALIS HIMMER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD ELECTRIC CLOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SECONDARY ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,583, dated March 9, 1886.

Application lctl April 23, 1885.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VrrALis HIMMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of electric clocks which are operated by periodical movements of the armature of an electro-magnet included in the circuit of a battery or generator, the connections of which circuit are made and broken at regular intervals by the movements of a central regulating-clock. The general principal upon which clocks of this class are based consists in actuating a driving pawl by means of the periodical movement of an armature, which pawl serves to propel a train of time-dividing wheels and impart a uniform intermittent progressive movement thereto. The rotation of these wheels is such as to communicate the proper relative motion to the hands of the clock. The attendant difficulties encountered in constructing clockmovements of this class consist in the number ofclicks or dogs required to lock the driving wheel at the end of each successive movement of the pawl, and of which two, in addition to the driving-pawl, have hitherto been found necessary, thus increasing the work to be performed without obtaining a perfectly satisfactory result, as the driving-wheel is notlocked at all times when not being used by the driving pawl, thus causing an unsteady movement of the hands ofthe clock. It has also been usual hitherto to employ a lever actuated by an extension on the armature to move the driving-pawl, thus increasing the work to be done by the current in moving this lever.

The object of my improvement is to remedy these defects by mechanism designed to lock the driving-wheel in every position of the actuating devices, and also to simplify the construction of the moving parts by obviating the necessity for more than one click in addition to the drivingpawl,and by rendering unnecessary the lever actuated by the extension on the armature. I effect these objects by the mechanism shown inthe accompanying drawl ings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of the clock and isso arranged (as shown in the drawings, Y

Serial No. 168,108. (No model.)

mechanism, showing. the position of the armature and driving-pawl when the circuit is open. Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing` the position of the armature and driving pawl when the circuit is closed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of another form of my clock mechanism involving adifferentarrangement of the parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents an electro-magnet which is designed to be included in the circuit of a battery, the connections of which are controlled by a central regulating-clock in any suitable manner. The armature B of this electro-magnet consists of a rectangular piece of sof't iron pivoted at one end at b, so as to swing toward the poles of the electro-magnet A under the intiuence of magnetism whenever the latter is traversed by a current of electricity, and it is so arranged wit-h reference to the magnet that gravity will cause the armature to fall away from the poles of the magnet when the latter is not traversed by the current; but this action of gravity may be aided by a spring, if desired.

To the armature B is fastened a piece of stiff brass or other material, C, which swings with the armature, and upon the lower end of which is mounted, by means of the loose pivot p, the pawl D, which thus moves with the armature. The free end of the pawl D rests upon the toothed wheel E, and is constructed to be carried forward a sufficient distance by each vibration of the armature B to engage one tooth of the wheel E, and at each backward movement of the armature to carry the wheel E through a portion of its revolution equal to the combined widths of one tooth and the opening between the teeth. The eX- cursion of this pawl D on its forward movement is limited by the distance between the armature B and the poles of the electro magnet when the latter' is not energized, and also by the head of the click F, hereinafter referred to, and the excursion of the pawl D is limited on its backward movement by the set-screwS7 mounted in the frame of the clock, and which impinges against the extension of the free end of the pawl D, as shown in the drawings.

The dog or click F is designed to lock the wheel E in both directions. This click F is loosely pivoted to the frame of the clock at m,

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Figs. land 2) with reference tothe extension C of the armature that when the armature is attracted by the magnet the lower end of the extension C impinges against the head of the free end of the click F, and presses it down upon the periphery of the wheel E, thuslocking the wheel Ein one direction, as shown in Fig. 2. The head of the dog or click F locks the wheel E in the other direction, so that when the armature is attracted by the magnet, as shown in Fig. 2, the wheel E is locked in both directions.

When the armature is not attracted by the magnet, as shown in Fig. l, the wheel E is locked in one direction by the click or dog F, and in the other direction it is locked by the free end of the pawl D, which is kept upon the periphery ofthe wheel E by the set-screw S. It will thus be seen that the wheel E is locked in both directions at the end of each vibration of the armature, thus giving a regular, steady, and certain progressive movement of the wheel E, which cannot be disturbed by the weight of the hands of the clock or other incidental causes.

I have found that the ordinary' rectangular teeth of toothed wheels `have a tendency to Wear against the pawl ,and click, thus in the course of time wearing'a depression in them. which interferes with the regularity of the clock. To remedy this defect, I make the teeth of the wheel E of the shape shown in the drawings-viz., rounded on that edge which comes in contact with the sliding surfaces of the pawl and click. This form reduces the tendency of the teeth to Wear into the pawl and clickf Fig. 3 shows a modified form of my invention, but one involving the same action. In this form the magnet A, armature B, eXtension C, set-screw S, and pawl D are arranged, essentially, as in Figs. l and 2. The click or dog F, however, is placed on the other side of the wheel E from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and while it locks the wheel E in one direction by its own weight, it is caused to lock it in the other direction through the action of the armature by means of the follower T, rigidly attached to the extension of the armature C, and which impinges against the free end of the click F when the armature B is attracted by the magnet A. Of course it is apparent, also, that the follower T, 'instead of being attached to the extension C, might be mounted upon the click F, and the extension C be made to impinge against the part T, this being essentially the same construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is obvious that there may be various moditications of the form and arrangement of the parts shown, which would all involve thesame principle of action. Thus the armature itself may be made to act for the extension C by being .extended downward. The pawl D might also be made to cause the wheel E to revolve by a pushing action instead of a pulling action, or the pawl itself may be so shaped at its pivoted end as to act to lock the click F; but such modifications will readily suggest themselves.

Although the mechanism above described is shown as adapted to an electric clock, it is apparent that it may be used for any purpose and in any position where a regular intermittent movement of this kind would answer, and I do not therefore limit myself to the use of this mechanism for a clock.

I am aware of the Letters Patent granted to William F. Weisgerber, March 31, 1885, No. 314,634; but my invention differs from that described in said patent of W eisgerber in the important respect that by my mode of construction I obviate the necessity of the weighted lever upon which the driving pawl is mounted in said Weisgerbers device, the action of which is found in practice to increase the friction of the movement to a considerable extent and also present anadditional feature of the combination which'tends to make the movement of his clock irregular and uncertain, and I effect this object by omitting this objectionable feature altogether, and so constructingmy device as to render it un-4 necessary; neither do I limit myself to electricity as a motive power,as other powers will answer.

1. In a motor for electric clocks, the following combination of parts: first, a toothed or ratchet wheel; second, a pawl mounted upon the armature of an electro-magnet for operating said toot-hed wheel and serving to lock the same when in its advanced position by engaging a fixed stop; third, a dog or click independent of said driving-pawl operating to lock the toothed wheel from moving and held in a locking position by the action ofthe armature on its returnstroke.

2. The combination of, rst, a toothed wheel, E; second, a pawl actuated by the arm C for operating said wheel; third, the dog or click F, held in a locking position by the action of said arm C; fourth, the set-screw S, all substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the electro-magnet A, its armature B, the pawl D, set-screw S, toothed wheel E, and click F, independent of said pawl, all substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the electro-magnet, A, its armature B. pawl D, toothed wheel E, set-screw S, and click F,held in a locking position by the action of said armature, substa'ntially as shown and described.

5. The combination of the electro-magnet A, its armature B, extension C, pawlr D, toothed wheel E, set-screw S, and click F,held in a locking position by the action of said armature, substantially as shown and described.

VITALIS HIMMER. Witnesses:

THoMAs HUNT, J. E. HINDoN HYDE.

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